A
leadership spill in the
Australian Labor Party, the party of opposition in the
Parliament of Australia, was held on 30 April 1968. It followed leader
Gough Whitlam's decision to resign the leadership following the party executives refusal to seat new Tasmanian delegate
Brian Harradine, to which Whitlam demanded a vote of confidence from his caucus. Whitlam received 38 votes to left-winger
Jim Cairns
James Ford Cairns (4 October 191412 October 2003) was an Australian politician who was prominent in the Labor movement through the 1960s and 1970s, and was briefly Treasurer and Deputy Prime Minister in the Whitlam government. He is best re ...
' 32 in an unexpectedly close poll.
Candidates
*
Jim Cairns
James Ford Cairns (4 October 191412 October 2003) was an Australian politician who was prominent in the Labor movement through the 1960s and 1970s, and was briefly Treasurer and Deputy Prime Minister in the Whitlam government. He is best re ...
, Member of the ALP Caucus Executive, Member for
Yarra
*
Gough Whitlam, incumbent Leader, Member for
Werriwa
The Division of Werriwa is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales. The name Werriwa derives from a local Aboriginal name for Lake George, which was located in the division when it was established in 1900. The division ...
Results
The following table gives the ballot results:
References
{{Leadership spills in Australia
Australian Labor Party leadership spills
Australian Labor Party leadership spill